Axle-skein.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LYTLE, OF PEARL, ILLINOIS.

AXLE-SKEIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,879, dated January 6, 1903. Application iiled October Z9, 1902. Serial No., 129,182. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LYTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pearl, in the county of Pike and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Axle-Skeins, of which the following' is a specification.

This invention has relation to axle-skeins; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement ofits parts, as hereinafter described.

The object of the invention is to provide a device for preventing sand from entering the journal-bearing of a vehicle-wheel and at the same time providing the means whereby the said bearing may be lubricated.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of the end of the axle, showing the wheel located thereon. Fig. 2 is a top view of the axle. Fig. 3 is a side view of the axle, and Fig. 4 is an end View of the axle.

Around the end of the axle 1 the spindle 2 is secured by means of a .bolt 3 passing through the said spindle and being embedded in the axle 1. The rear portion of the spindle is provided with an annular recess 4, said recess having in its bottom several depressions 5. The exterior of the spindle is also provided with an annular ange 6. The annular collar 7 is adapted to enter the recess 4 and is provided on its inner edges with a number of pins 8, which pass through the recess 4 and enter the depressions 5. The coilsprings 9 bearing at their outer ends against said collar 7 and surrounding the pins 4 and bearing at their inner ends against the bottoms of the depressions 5, thus have a tendency to hold the collar 7 out. r

The rear end of the spindle 2 is surrounded by a housing, which is made in two sections and bolted together, as shown in Figs. 2 andv 3, the said housing having in its interior an annular recess 1l for the reception of the liange 6. The hub-box 12 is provided at its rear end with an external thread, which engages the interior thread 13 of the housing 10. This housing l0 and thebox 12 are screwthreaded together and revolve together, the outer face of the collar 7 bearing against the rear end of the box 12. The tap 13 is screwthreaded on the outer end of the box 12 and protects the journal-bearing from sand, dto. One of the sections of the housing lO is provided with an opening 14, which is adapted to be closed by a removable plate l5, said plate having at one edge a tongue 16, adapted to enter a slot 17, said plate having pivoted upon its outer face a catch 18, the end of which is adapted to enter a recess 19 when the plate is over the opening 14, and thus the said opening is closed. The catch 18 is made of spring metal and is adapted to swing in a plane parallel with the face of the plate l5, the said plate being provided on its outer face with two elevations 2O 20, which are adapted to receive between them one end of the catch 18 when the plate is over the opening 14, and thus the said catch is prevented from swinging on its pivot until the end of the said catch, which rests between the elevations 20 20, is pulled out of the said elevations, when the said catch may b eswung on its pivot, but when to one side and disengage the recess 19, when the entire plate 15 may be removed from the opening 14. In order to lubricate the journal-bearing, the plate 15 is removed and the lubricant insertedthrough the opening 14, from which point it is fed to the bearing of the wheel. A sliding bolt 21 is xed to the rear end of the spindle 2, the outer end of said bolt being adapted to enter a recess 22 A inone of the sections of the housing 10. Thus when the wheel is placed on the spindle the end ofthe bolt 2l is passed into the recess 22, which makes the housing 10 stationary with the axle. The box 12 is then placed on the spindle 2 and the wheel is revolved, which causes the thread at the rear end of the box to engage the thread 13 of the housing 10.

When the said box 12 is made fast with the said housing, the bolt 2l is withdrawn from the recess 22, and the box 12 and the housing lOmay then revolve together. To separate the box 12 from the housing l0, the operation above described is reversed and the box is separated from the housing.

The box 12 is secured to the interior of the wheel-hub by bein g forced therein, or the said box may be attached to the hub by any other means commonly known and employed.

IOO

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An axle having aspindle attached to its end, said spindle having near its inner end an annular recess, an annular collarlocated in said recess, and a means for forcing said collar toward the outer end of the spindle, an annular ange located near the inner end of the spindle, a housing having an annular recess adapted to receive the annular flange of the spindle, a wheel having a box adapted to receive said spindle and a means for connecting said box and housing together.

2. An axle having a spindle attached to its end, said spindle having near its inner end an annular recess with depressions located in the bottom thereof, an annular collar surrounding said spindle and having on its inner face pins adapted to enter said depressions, coilsprings surrounding said pins and bearing at their outer ends against said collar and at their inner ends against the bottoms of said depressions, an annular flange surrounding the rear ends of said spindle, a housing having an annular recess adapted to receive said spindle and a means for securing the box and the housing together.

3. An axle having a spindle attached to its end, said spindle having near its inner end an annular recess and an annular collar located in said recess, said spindle having on its rear end an annular iange, ahousing having an annular recess adapted to receive said iiange, a wheel having a box adapted to re* ceive said spindle, a means for attaching the ho using and the said box together, said housing having an opening and a removable plate adapted to close said opening.

4. An axle having a spindle located thereon, said spindle having near its inner lend an annular flange, a wheel having a box adapted to receive said spindle, a housing having an annular recess adapted to receive the flange of the spindle, the means for securing said box and housing together, said housing having an opening with recesses adjacent its edges, a plate having a tongue adapted to enter one of said recesses and a pivoted latch the end ot which is adapted to enter the other y said recess, said plate having on its face elevations adapted to receive between them one end of the pivoted latch.

in testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

wILLiAM LYTLE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE LUcAs, Jon W. BAGBY. 

